


There's Always Forever

by NobodyBreaksMyHeart



Category: Neverland (TV), Once Upon a Time (TV), Once Upon a Time in Neverland, Peter Pan & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by Once Upon a Time (TV), Neverland, Neverland (Once Upon a Time), Once Upon A Time, Peter Pan - Freeform, Peter Pan is not Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold's Father, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-05-08 15:20:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14696910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NobodyBreaksMyHeart/pseuds/NobodyBreaksMyHeart
Summary: Soul Mate[ˈsōl ˌmāt](noun)A person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.Imagine a world in which your soul mate has been decided for you from the time you are born. Somewhere on both your bodies in the exact same spot is a mark. A mark that will burn into the first words you speak to each other. Known as a soul mark, it is something the two of you will share for the rest of your lives. Not everyone meets their soul mate, some don’t meet them on time and others choose to take their love lives into their own hands. But rebelling against the system that’s been set in place can have consequences. And some consequences can be destructive or even fatal.orA story about the girl who's soul mate is Peter Pan.





	1. Stranded in Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> ***I own nothing and nobody except the original characters***
> 
> I've been toying around with this idea for a couple months. I loved the darker portrayal of Peter Pan in Once Upon a Time so that's the version I attempted to write in this story. This is an AU Neverland story so I am taking liberties with characters, personalities and back stories. Some characters I tagged as being in this story won't show up until later but they will show up I promise :)

~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
There was no clear path through the jungle, but Sawyer kept walking in the direction she decided was straight ahead. Just moments before, she woke up to find the private plane she and her older sister Eura were on had crashed somewhere unfamiliar. Their cell phones weren't working and neither was the plane's radio which meant they had no way of calling for help. They were horrified to discover their pilot Gregg was missing. Judging by the amount of blood in the cockpit and the windshield being completely shattered, Sawyer had little hope they'd ever see him again. And if they did, it was highly doubtful he would be alive.

The plane had crashed in a meadow surrounded by lush green jungle. The grass came up to Sawyer's shoulders. In one area, the grass had been cut away. There was a fire pit surrounded by logs for sitting on. The trees of the jungle were so tall Sawyer couldn't see the tops of them. Vines with colorful flowers of all shapes and sizes wound around the impossibly tall tree trunks. The smell of coconut and vanilla was everywhere. The sun was extremely bright and abnormally large.

While Eura worked on gathering up all their luggage, Sawyer decided to explore. Wherever they landed was quiet and peaceful. But unsettling at the same time. The sound of twigs breaking behind her made her stop. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. When she heard nothing else except birds, she continued on her way. Soon, she found a beach. Pristine soft white sands ran in both directions as far as the eye could see. Before her was the ocean. A brilliant and sparkling shade of blue.

She made her way over to a hill that lead up to a dangerously high cliff. By the time she reached the top, sweat was dripping down her face in response to the ridiculous heat. Even in shorts and a tank top, she felt as though she were walking through fire. Wiping some sweat off her brow, she looked around. All she saw was jungle and a few mountains. There were no telephone poles or towers. No buildings. Fear started gripping at her when the possibility that they were stranded on an uninhabited island crept into her mind. But she refused to give up hope. They would be found eventually.

Sawyer sat down on a nearby boulder and stared out over the ocean. A cool breeze blew around her and she shut her eyes to welcome it. Her sweat was drying and she didn't feel as hot as before. The faint scent of coconut made her smile. When she opened her eyes, something down at the bottom of the cliff caught her eye. Frowning, she looked again and saw someone standing in the shadows of the jungle. She jumped to her feet and started making her way down. As soon as she did, whoever it was ran off into the trees.

Sawyer tripped over her own feet and started rolling down the mountain. She curled into a ball when she saw she was headed towards some black thorny bushes. They poked and prodded all the exposed skin on her arms, legs and neck. She was completely overwhelmed by the sudden white hot pain radiating from everywhere she had been scratched. To her horror, veins had become black and began popping up from her skin. She cried out and stood to run back to the plane only to find that she was extremely weak. She collapsed to the ground as her vision blurred. A hooded figure appeared over her.

Her eyes were closing against her will and she opened her mouth the speak, but no words came out. She felt someone lift her up and she buried her head against them. They smelled of forest and earth with a hint of coconut. The cool wind began whipping strands of her hair wildly around her face and numbed some of the pain she was feeling. She remembered being put down on the ground some time later. The sun continued burning her skin. Then she felt cold liquid against her mouth and parted her dry lips to greedily drink the water that was being offered to her. She felt all the pain slowly fade away. Her body cooled down. Then her world went completely black. And she remembered the crash.

~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
_Sawyer and Eura were on their family's private plane headed to the Bahamas for summer vacation. Sawyer had just finished her sophomore year of high school. Eura had just graduated from Dartmouth with a degree she had no intention of using. She was already engaged to her soul mate whom she had met years prior. Sawyer had yet to meet her soul mate and quite frankly, didn't really care to. The very idea of being forced to be with someone she had absolutely no choice over didn't sit well with her. Every day she dreaded the moment her mark would burn into the first words he would speak directly to her. She was jolted out of her thoughts when the plane hit turbulence._

 _They were world travelers and turbulence wasn't new to them. But something was different. It was much more violent and seemed to be getting worse. Eura was gripping the armrests so tightly her knuckles were turning white. The so called turbulence continued for a lot longer than Sawyer assumed it would. Last she had seen, they were directly over ocean so she was anticipating a water evacuation. She looked out the window but couldn't make out much of anything. Just a second ago she saw clouds flying by. Eura's hand reached out and grabbed Sawyer's tightly._ _Then all the lights went out._  
  
They heard loud banging noises all over the plane. Sawyer looked out her window again. She saw water but they were still moving at a rapid pace as though they were falling through it. Cracks were forming on the windows. Sawyer closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. She didn't know what was about to happen. Was this the end? Was she going to die before meeting her soul mate? Not that it really even mattered since she had made the decision to spend her life alone. But she still wanted (maybe even needed) to know who it was destiny had paired her with. The plane continued to jerk around and one jolt caught Sawyer off guard. Her head slammed up against the window, knocking her out instantly.

~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You should've just let her die."

Felix spoke matter of factly. As if letting people die was a way of life that wouldn't bring about feelings of guilt. Peter said nothing and kept stabbing his knife absentmindedly into the tree trunk he leaned up against. Thick pools of honey were pouring from the holes he created. They were hidden high up on a branch covered by a canopy of green leaves. It was a perfect view of where they left Sawyer on the beach. Peter knew the girls were there as soon as the plane burst through the portal and was spit into the middle of the jungle. _His_ jungle.

The trees had swayed and animals became frantic. Even the winds had changed direction. Felix, stupid Felix, almost got caught by following Sawyer too closely as she explored. Stepping on a twig when he was normally more stealthy. But then it was Peter who she caught a glimpse of while high up on the cliff. He didn't expect her to come after them or trip over air on her way down. When she landed in the Dreamshade, Felix had failed to stifle laughter which was silenced into a scowl when Peter ordered him to take her to the healing springs.

"Perhaps I should have," Peter said. "But we could always use more help around camp."

"I thought that's what the other two were for."

"Nothing wrong with two more."

Felix said nothing and looked at Sawyer who still hadn't moved. Peter sighed and put his knife back into the sheath on his belt. "We should head back to camp."

"Why not take her now?" Felix frowned. "Come back for the other one later."

"No," Peter shook his head. "They'll slip up soon enough. For now, I'll let them have their freedom."

They soon heard another voice echoing through the trees. It was Eura frantically searching for her sister. Felix and Peter watched as she ran to Sawyer's side.

"Sawyer!" she said, as she shook her. "Sawyer! Sawyer!"

Sawyer's eyes shot open and she sat up quickly. "How did I get here?"

"Oh thank god you're not dead!"

Eura pulled her into a hug. Sawyer was too busy examining her arms and legs, confused when there were no signs of being attacked by an unknown prickly plant. Eura looked at her strangely.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Uh yeah I just...I could've sworn I fell off that cliff and into some thorny bushes."

Sawyer stood and started walking down the beach towards the cliff. Eura chased after her.

"You fell off a cliff?"

"Yeah."

"Were you trying to kill yourself?"

"No! Why would you say that?" Sawyer laughed a little.

"Well you just said you fell off a cliff."

"I rolled down after I tripped. Over my feet."

Eura laughed and Sawyer rolled her eyes, as they approached the black bushes. She observed them closely. There was dark red liquid dripping from each of the thorns.

"Is that blood?" Eura frowned.

As they stared at the curious plant, the sun began to set. And rather quickly at that. An explosion of rainbow colors burst up from the horizon giving way to a darker sky that was already dotted in millions of stars.

"Let's get back to the plane," said Sawyer.

Eura nodded and followed after her into the dark jungle. The moon was full and covered more of the night sky than they were used to. Consequently, it cast the entire jungle in a hazy white glow giving the girls just enough light to see where they were walking. There were no real paths and neither of them had a good sense of direction. But they continued fighting through trees and brush that seemed to be moving all around them until they found the plane. And they wouldn't know that the only reason they made it safely was because Peter allowed it much to Felix's annoyance.

"You should've just let the jungle take care of them," Felix muttered, as the girls disappeared into the plane.

Peter said nothing to his tall, lean friend who wasn't a fan of strangers. Especially the kind he didn't understand. Then silently, he flew up into the night sky and Felix hesitated before going after him. Like Peter, these two new girls intrigued him. He just hoped they wouldn't be the downfall of Neverland or break Peter like the last girl who had come here.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~ _  
_


	2. Tiger Lily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow start in Chapter 1. It gets more interesting I promise :D

~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A few days passed since the girls crash landed on what appeared to be an uninhabited island. They spent their time close to the plane, going through the snacks and water bottles stashed in the cargo hold. Eura's appetite had strangely spiked since they'd arrived so they were now running dangerously low. Everyday they woke up hoping it was all just a dream or even a nightmare. And everyday they'd wake up to find that it was neither.

Eura always slept curled up on a seat while Sawyer opted for the floor in order to stretch out. Unlike her sister, she'd been a restless sleeper. At nights, there were moments she swore she heard yelling in the distance. Sometimes, she thought she heard someone rushing through the tall grass surrounding the plane but chalked it up to wind. Then there was the howling and the growling along with the uneasy feeling that they were constantly being watched.  
  
Her mind went back to the cliff. Was that truly someone standing in the shadows or just a figment of her imagination? She walked to the cooler in the back of the plane for a water bottle. As she drank, she heard movement outside. Looking out one of the broken windows, she saw a flash of dark hair. Someone was definitely there. Sawyer hurried off the plane. She crept carefully through the tall grass towards the dark haired stranger. Whoever it was stood with their back to her with a large basket and an earthen jug at their feet.  
  
"Hello?" said Sawyer, cautiously.  
  
The girl whirled around. Her big, brown eyes looked fearfully in Sawyer's direction. Her dark hair was styled into two braids that hung over each shoulder. She had on a tan dress but was barefoot. Before Sawyer could say anything, the girl had a knife at her throat.

"I just said hello," Sawyer frowned, holding her hands up in surrender.

The girl lowered her knife, but watched Sawyer warily. "Sorry. You startled me."

"Like wise."

"I'm Tiger Lily," the girl said, as she put her knife away.

"Sawyer."

Tiger Lily nodded and picked the basket up off the ground. "I brought these for you and your sister. You've been living off strange bars and drinks in plastic containers. I thought you might like something different."

"You mean the granola bars and water bottles," Sawyer smiled as she peered inside the basket. There were various fruits, vegetables, nuts as well as some eggs and a frying pan. "The bars are starting to taste bland. Thank you."

"I also brought fresh water. It's from a spring not far from here," Tiger Lily said. "It's safe water for drinking and also a good place for bathing. I probably should have come sooner but I wasn't sure what you'd do."

"What do you mean?"

"We - I - don't get many visitors here. The ones that have visited were not very pleasant."

"Where exactly is 'here' anyway?"

"You're in Neverland," Tiger Lily smiled.

"Never heard of it. Is it in the Bahamas?"

"No," Tiger Lily frowned. "What is the Bahamas?"

"It's where we were supposed to go for summer vacation," Sawyer sighed, as she sat down on a log.

"Well you should know this island can be dangerous and anyone you meet you shouldn't trust."

"Does that include you?"

Tiger Lily couldn't tell Sawyer the truth. He'd know and she'd be punished. She had already said and done too much. The wind suddenly picked up and dark clouds appeared in the otherwise blue sky. Tiger Lily looked up in panic.

"I must leave," she said.

"Okay. Well feel free to stop by anytime!" Sawyer called after her quickly retreating form.

As soon as Tiger Lily disappeared into the jungle, the wind died down and the clouds went away. Sawyer picked up the basket and jug then headed back to the plane. Unknown to her, Tiger Lily was running for her life. She was grateful Sawyer hadn't seen it. The dark entity that haunted the island. A black vapor with terrifying red eyes. Peter had warned her not to visit the strangers from the plane without his permission, but she did anyway and she'd taken food as well. She'd broken rules and now she had to pay. Suddenly Tiger Lily felt herself being lifted up into the air. She flailed her arms and legs around even though she knew there was no escaping the grasp that held her. Soon she saw the familiar camp below. Her ghostly captor dropped her without warning. She hit the ground with a sickening cracking noise coming from the ankle that took the brunt of her fall. She immediately cried out in pain.

"You really should not have done that," Peter frowned, walking towards her with his arms crossed.

Several hooded figures of varying heights stood around watching. Waiting. Felix was leaning up against a tree with a smug smile on his face. Tiger Lily kept her head low and fought against the tears filling up her eyes.

"I told you to keep an eye on the girls. Not give them food."

Tiger Lily continued to be silent which made Peter angrier. He knelt down and pushed up her chin to look at him.

"It was a mistake asking you to tend to their wounds when they first arrived. I should've known you'd get attached," he said. "Do not visit them again. Am I clear?"

Tiger Lily nodded, wanting so badly to be free so she could heal her ankle. Peter snapped his fingers and her wrists were suddenly bound tightly together with a rope that burned against her skin.

"Cage her," he said. "And make sure that ankle stays broken a little while longer."

Two of the smaller figures came forward to drag her away. Peter knew full well that without her herbs or potions Tiger Lily couldn't heal herself. She was dragged carelessly over tree roots and dead branches, each jolt hurting her ankle further. Once, her ankle got stuck and she was jerked so harshly forward another crack could be heard. At that Tiger Lily screamed which made Peter smile. He prided himself on being cruel.

Soon they reached the clearing where they kept their crudely built wooden prisons. They tossed Tiger Lily in like a rag doll ignoring her painful cries. She felt her cage being lifted up and squinted at the bright, hot sunlight coming through the cracks. Peter would make sure daylight lasted longer than was normal. Tiger Lily's cries echoed all around the jungle. Back at the plane, Sawyer stopped cooking to look around.

"Do you hear that?" she asked Eura, who had just gotten up.

"Hear what?"

Sawyer listened again. She definitely heard crying. She continued to listen until the crying grew faint and eventually disappeared altogether. Eura looked at her strangely. "I don't hear anything."

Sawyer said nothing as she resumed cooking. But she still felt uneasy. Something about those cries seemed familiar and it would be several days without Tiger Lily.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/comments are appreciated <3


	3. Of Beaches...

~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm going to find her," said Sawyer a couple days after she'd met Tiger Lily.

"Who?" Eura frowned.

"Tiger Lily."

"Oh yeah. Your imaginary friend."

"Eura..."

"We still don't know our way around the island so how do you propose we find her?"

Sawyer thought for a moment and shrugged. "Think of it as an adventure."

"I'd rather just stay here and try to come up with ways to get off this island."

"We're starting to run low on food again," said Sawyer, looking down at the basket Tiger Lily had given them. Eura's appetite continued to increase. The result was them going through the food a lot quicker than Sawyer had anticipated. "We probably have enough for a couple days more, even with your sudden change in appetite."

"It must be the heat," said Eura, as she shoved some cherries in her mouth.

"Heat and overeating usually aren't closely related."

"Shut up."

"I'm going to look for Tiger Lily with or without you," Sawyer said as she stood.

Eura let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine. I'll go with you. But I want to be back here before sunset."

"Deal," Sawyer nodded.

She filled a backpack with snacks and water bottles then they began their journey into the unknown. They walked in silence with Eura leading the way. The plants seemed to shift around them. A tree or a bush never quite stayed in the same spot. Even the vines seemed to move. They passed by some berry bushes that smelled delicious. Sawyer made a mental note to try them later. Eventually they found the beach. By then, the sun was high in the sky and sweat was dripping down both their faces. Eura stripped off her clothes to reveal her swimsuit underneath.

"Time for a swim break," she said, running towards the clear blue waters.

Sawyer found a palm tree and laid down with her hands behind her head. She wondered what happened to Tiger Lily and was determined to find her. Perhaps Tiger Lily could help them figure out a way off this island. Sawyer stared up at the sky and wondered if anyone back home had noticed they were missing. She heard Eura's frantic voice, but kept trying to block her out. It became harder to when the screams got louder.

"Sawyer! Help! Sawyer!"

She sat up and was horrified to find Eura being restrained by a hooded figure while another one poked at her with a sword. There was blood coming out of a gash at the top of her head as well as several cuts along her arms and legs. Jumping up, Sawyer pulled out a pocket knife and started running towards them. An arrow came from out of nowhere nicking her arm. She whirled around to find two hooded culprits taking aim at her. She dodged their arrows, but another one landed in her thigh. She cried out in pain as she tumbled onto the sand. Eura had somehow escaped her captors and even managed to get a sword, which she was swinging around wildly.

Sawyer's hands trembled as she looked at the arrow sticking out of her leg. The pain was indescribable. She took a deep breath and managed to break off part of the arrow in an attempt to completely remove it. Another hooded figure who was taller than the rest came at her swinging a wooden bat. She scrambled backwards and barely dodged him. But another blow came to the side of her head. She was dizzy and reached up with her hand where she felt something wet and sticky. Sure enough, there was blood on her fingers.

She looked up in horror at her new assailant. He removed his hood. Scraggly blonde hair fell around his angular face and cold blue eyes watched her. There was a glaring scar that ran from one side of his face, over the bridge of his nose and down the other side almost to his neck. He smirked as he swung at her again. This time, Sawyer was able to move out of the way despite the throbbing pain in her leg and the massive headache.

From the shadows of the jungle, Peter watched the drama unfolding with a triumphant smile on his face. They had followed the girls on their quest to find Tiger Lily. In fact, they had listened to them as they discussed their plans for the day. He found it amusing that they thought they'd succeed in tracking Tiger Lily down on an island that he controlled. Peter waited for the right moment for an ambush. That moment happened when Eura went into the water alone while Sawyer laid under a palm tree. The boys hadn't trained with live targets in a while and were itching to do so again. There was only one rule - nobody dies.

Sawyer found herself cornered. The pain in her thigh was unbearable as was the pounding headache. Two hooded figures pointed swords directly at her from both sides while the blonde walked slowly over to her with an evil grin on his face, swinging his bat carelessly. He paused a few feet away and pulled a sword out from under his cloak.

"I want this to be a fair fight," he said, as he tossed it to the ground beside her.

The other two figures backed away and Sawyer grabbed the sword. Her shaking hands were trying hard to grasp the handle. She tried to blink away the pain she was feeling. They walked in a slow circle with their weapons pointed at each other. He jumped forward, swinging at her. Sawyer rolled to the side and glanced in Eura's direction. Eura was still fighting like an amateur knight swinging at anyone who dared get within a few feet of her. Sawyer felt pain in her thigh as the rest of the arrow was ripped out by the tall blonde. She fell to the ground as blood started gushing out.

"Why the hell did you do that?" she yelled.

"You might want to bandage that. Stop the bleeding," the blonde taunted.

"I'm fine," Sawyer lied.

He lowered his bat and tossed a bottle onto the sand.

"I said I wanted a fair fight," he frowned. "Drink half of that. Give the other half to your sister."

"I don't think -"

"Or bleed out. Your choice."

Sawyer looked at the bottle curiously. It was a purple liquid that swirled around. She didn't know what it was or why he was offering help. Then again, this could be part of his game. This could be how they died since the plane crash didn't kill them. But one thing was for sure. The pain in her leg was only getting worse and it would only be a matter of time before she fainted and most likely died from blood loss. She snatched the bottle up, dropping the sword in the process, and drank greedily. Almost instantly, the pain faded away. She looked down at her leg and watched as the wound disappeared completely as if it were never there. Her headache also went away.

"How -"

"Don't ask questions," the blonde said, kicking the sword to her. "Now where were we?"

Sawyer grabbed the sword as he swung at her again. She wasn't sure what it was he had given her, but it made her feel stronger than before. Perhaps it was some sort of drug? By now, nobody else was fighting. They were all watching them. He lunged at Sawyer and she ducked low so he hit her shin instead. She fell to the ground and he took her sword.

"Are you kidding me?" she exclaimed, as a bruise quickly formed.

He pulled her up roughly by the arm and whirled her around so that her back was up against him. She cringed when she felt his hot breath on her ear. He held the blade of the sword across her throat.

"Give up?" he said.

"Hell no."

Sawyer elbowed him in the rib cage while simultaneously kicking back with her foot into his groin. He cried out and doubled over in pain. Sawyer knocked him to the ground and pointed the sword at his throat.

"Who are you?" Sawyer demanded.

"No one that should concern you."

"You attacked us. It concerns me."

"We were following orders."

"Who's orders?"

He laughed a little. It wasn't light hearted. It was a dark kind of laugh that sent bad chills down her spine.

"Not yet," he smirked. "But you'll know soon enough."

Someone whistled from the jungle and caught everyone's attention.

"I would love to stay and continue our conversation," the blonde said, standing carefully so as not to get stabbed. "But it's time to go."

He snatched the sword from her and walked backwards towards the jungle.

"Don't bother following us or you'll regret it."

He disappeared quickly along with the rest of them. Sawyer raced over to Eura.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a few cuts and scrapes, but nothing I can't handle. Are you alright? You took quite a beating."

"Yeah I'm fine. He gave me some medicine or something. It completely healed me. Here. Drink it."

Eura frowned but did as she was told. Immediately the wound on her head disappeared along with the blood that had been dripping down her face. Her arms and legs had also been cleared of any cuts.

"The more I learn about this place, the more ready I am to leave it," said Eura, dropping the empty bottle onto the sand. "We have got to find a way off this island Sawyer. It's been far too long."

Sawyer nodded in agreement. It was a beautiful place no question. But it had now proven to be very dangerous like Tiger Lily had told her. And she definitely was telling the truth about how they couldn't trust anyone. They'd almost gotten killed.

"Let's get back to the plane," said Sawyer.

Eura nodded, as they gathered up their things then began the trek back through the jungle.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't pride myself on the way I write fight scenes so please bear with me lol 
> 
> Kudos/comments appreciated :)


	4. ...and Berries

~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Do you think Dean misses me?" Eura asked after a few moments of silence.

"Of course. He loves you."

"Does he? According to you, soul mates can never truly love each other since they're nothing more than destiny's cruel curse."

"You and Dean are different."

Eura looked over at Sawyer curiously. "Someday when you meet your soul mate, what are you going to do? Reject him? Break the rules of the system and love who you want?"

"That all depends on who it is," said Sawyer. "I could see myself learning to love someone. But knowing my luck, he will be some sort of homicidal psychopath."

They laughed a little then walked the rest of the way in silence. The sun was gone soon after they reached the plane. Eura got a fire going and began digging through what little food they had left. But airplane snack food no longer tasted good to Sawyer and she'd had her fill of the food Tiger Lily gave them. She craved something more. Then she remembered the berry bushes they passed on their way to the beach. Surely they tasted as sweet as they smelled. She grabbed a paper cup from the plane and headed off into the jungle.

"I'm going to pick some berries," she called over her shoulder.

"After what happened on the beach earlier? You're going into the jungle alone? At night?"

"They aren't that far."

"Well if I hear you screaming, I promise to hide and save myself," said Eura.

Sawyer rolled her eyes before walking off. The berry bushes were further away than she thought, but easy to find due to their overwhelming scent. Vanilla and coconut. She fought through bushes that seemed to grab at her and climbed over large tree roots that seemed to come from out of nowhere. It was all worth it when she reached her destination. She knelt down and started to fill her cup while humming an unknown tune. It wasn't long before the cup was full to the brim.

As she stood to head back to the plane, the soul mark on her ribcage started to burn which caught her off guard. The cup fell from her hands spilling its contents onto the ground. She cursed under her breath and lifted her shirt to look. The burning sensation was more intense than she imagined it would be. Like a hot blade was dragging slowly through her skin. Words were beginning to form and she looked around. This was it. She was about to meet her soul mate.

"Those are poisonous," said an unfamiliar British voice behind her.

Not exactly words of romance. Sawyer remained where she was, afraid to look behind her. All the berries on the ground disappeared. Slowly, she turned around. From the shadows he appeared and her breath caught in her throat. His light brown hair was a tousled mess on top of his head. Striking green eyes stared straight at her. Straight through her. There was mischief and curiosity in the tiny smile on his face. Sawyer felt rooted to the spot. Was this really her soul mate? Why wasn't he reacting? The marks of soul mates were supposed to react at the same time. Or maybe he was really good at ignoring that kind of pain. Or worse…maybe he was that repulsed by her that he didn't want to acknowledge it.

"There's an orchard not far from here," he broke into her thoughts. A plum appeared out of thin air and he took a bite. "Fruits. Vegetables. Nuts. You're welcome to eat anything there. Just don't eat the berries out in the jungle. They smell sweet but you'd be dead in about five minutes."

Sawyer said nothing as she continued to stare. Despite his choice of clothing that Eura would refer to as either "forest not so chic" or "why are you wearing that", he was devilishly handsome. There was a quiver of arrows on his back and in one hand he carried a crossbow. Her heart was racing and the butterflies in her stomach were going crazy. Sawyer blamed it on the thrill of finally meeting her soul mate instead of attraction. Because how and why would she ever be genuinely attracted to him? Everything about him made her inwardly cringe and the warning sirens were going off in her head. He frowned at her, tilting his head to the side.

"Do you speak or are you mute?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

He knew she talked. He just wasn't sure why she wasn't talking now. Sawyer frowned. "I do talk. I'm just wondering why you're here."

"I could ask you the same thing. Sawyer Benson."

He started to walk in a slow circle around her. Sawyer felt her body tensing up.

"H-how do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things," he said, as he continued to circle her. "I know you have an older sister named Eura. I know Tiger Lily visited you and gave you food. I know you stumbled into some Dreamshade your first day here. Nasty stuff."

He chuckled a little at the last part.

"You know Tiger Lily?" Sawyer asked.

"Quite well."

"Where is she? We haven't heard from her in a few days."

"She's...preoccupied," he smirked in a way that made her uncomfortable.

The jungle seemed to be responding to him. The wind had picked up and leaves swirled around trapping them together in a small flurry. The trees were swaying and the vines were moving like snakes. The berry bushes seemed to be hanging on every word he said.

"I knew as soon as your plane passed through the portal," Peter said, stopping directly in front of her. "I've been watching you ever since."

"That's not creepy at all," said Sawyer, sarcastically.

"Nice hideout, by the way."

He motioned through the trees where they could barely make out the plane.

"It's a crashed plane. Not a hideout," Sawyer said. "Besides, I doubt we'll be here for that much longer."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Our father's probably already sent out a search party. The Air Force. Navy Seals. The Coast Guard."

"They'll never be able to find you."

"Is that a threat?"

"No. It's a fact. Nobody comes here except through a portal. And nobody leaves unless I say."

"Right..." Sawyer said. "So what's with the crossbow?"

"I've been hunting," he said, proudly. "I've caught enough meat to feed us for weeks."

"Us?"

"Yeah. I believe you and your sister met my comrades earlier on the beach?"

"That was you?"

"That wasn't technically me," he said. "I call them my lost boys. They do my dirty work. I was curious about you. I needed to know exactly what I was up against."

"Two girls from New York City on summer break flying to the Bahamas. Yeah. Big threat."

"I had to be sure. No one's visited Neverland since…well it's been a while."

"Yeah. Can't say this would be a destination location for me. Especially considering the warm welcome," Sawyer said, eyeballing him with disdain.

"Oh Neverland's great. You're really going to love it here. As long as you play by the rules of course."

"Rules?"

"You're on my island which means you will follow the rules just like everyone else."

"I will answer to no one especially not to you," Sawyer said challengingly.

She normally not a tough person, so saying that made her inwardly uncomfortable. But she was still on an adrenaline high from the beach attack that apparently her soul mate ordered. Peter's smile dropped into a frown. His eyes clouded over. Suddenly his hand was around her neck. Sawyer reached up to loosen his grip but he held on tightly. Not so tight she couldn't breathe, but tight enough to keep her still. Sawyer did the only thing she could think of and kicked him in the groin like she did to his friend earlier. That took him by surprise and he let go. Sawyer took out her pocket knife and waited for him to lunge at her. Willed for him to. She would stab him in the neck and leave him to bleed out. Soul mates be damned.

"You stubborn little girl," he spat. "I should punish you for that."

"Please. Be my guest."

For a moment their eyes locked. His green anger against her blue fury. Both refusing to waver. She watched him carefully trying to figure out his next move. By now the wind was whipping her hair wildly around her face. The trees seemed to be caving in on them. Vines started reaching out to her. Then everything calmed down and the only thing she could hear was her heart beating in her ears. He stepped back which surprised her, but kept his gaze on her.

"It's late now," he said. "You should get some rest."

Then he turned on his heel to leave.

"Wait," Sawyer said.

He stopped walking and turned back around to face her, curiosity in his eyes.

"You know my name, but I still don't know yours," she said.

He smiled. "My name is Peter Pan."

~*~*~*~*~*~


	5. Second in Command

~*~*~*~*~*~ _  
  
My name is Peter Pan_. The name of her soul mate wasn't at all what she expected. Especially not from an island dwelling psychopath. It was rather ordinary and plain. But t he words still echoed around inside Sawyer's head.  Before he left, Peter told her where to find the orchard and promised he'd be back to visit. But Sawyer couldn't decide whether or not she wanted him to. Then he _flew_ into the night sky. How was that even possible? Furthermore, why in the hell on a dangerous island where she could trust no one would she meet her soul mate? After she had sufficiently drowned in her thoughts, Sawyer headed back to the plane where Eura was already fast asleep.

"Thanks for waiting up," she muttered.

Sawyer laid down expecting another restless night. But as she laid there staring at the ceiling, the sounds of night wrapped around her like a blanket. Crickets seemed to sing lullabies which made her eyes heavy. And for the first time since they'd been on the island, Sawyer slept peacefully through the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Sawyer woke up fully rested. She found Eura already outside at the firepit eating a plum.

"Finally," Eura said. "I didn't think you'd ever wake up."

"I slept really well last night."

"Did you fall asleep picking berries?"

"No," Sawyer frowned. "I didn't think I was gone that long."

"You were," Eura nodded, then she pointed at the empty basket on the ground. "We need more food and water."

Sawyer ignored her and sat down. "I met my soul mate."

Eura looked at her for a moment then started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Sawyer frowned.

"Did he come to you in a dream?"

"No. He came to me when I was picking berries. In fact, the first words he said to me were that they were poisonous."

Sawyer lifted up her shirt enough to show Eura the words etched into her skin. Eura's eyes widened. "You were telling the truth."

"I wish I wasn't," Sawyer said.

"You know what this means right?" Eura asked. Sawyer shrugged. "After our little fight on the beach and that weird potion that blonde guy gave you...I started to think that maybe we were in some sort of nightmare. Except the injuries and the heat felt real. Then I thought what if we somehow fell into a different dimension?"

"Okay Eura. I think this island is making you crazy," Sawyer laughed. "You might want to get some more sleep."

"I'm serious. Don't you believe in the existence of other worlds?"

"No. I believe in Planet Earth."

"There are things that happen here that don't seem normal or possible. You can't deny that."

Sawyer remembered watching Peter fly. Perhaps Eura was onto something.

"It's just a lot to think about Eura," she said quietly. "There's an orchard not far from here. I can get more food. Can you get us more water?"

"How long have you known about this orchard?" Eura asked, as they stood.

"Since last night. Peter told me where it was."

"So his name is Peter. What was he like?"

"Nothing I imagined."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

"It's hard to say," Sawyer shrugged, as she picked up the basket. "I've only just met him."

Then she walked in the direction Peter told her to go. Tree roots and bushes seemed to climb out of her way creating a little path. Even the vines seemed to be showing her where to go. It wasn't long before she reached a large clearing. All matter of fruit, vegetable and nut trees stood before her in a massive cluster. There was a wooden ladder at each of them.

"He wasn't lying," Sawyer said as she walked up to a banana tree.

She started with fruits, then moved onto vegetables and nuts. Every time she picked something, a new one would grow in its place. She was amused by the automatic regrowth of everything she picked. Eventually she tried to pick things quicker than they could grow back, but that only caused them to appear faster.

"This is so cool," she said to herself.

"They do that," said a voice from behind her.

Sawyer looked down from where she stood on the ladder and got tense when she recognized the tall, skinny blonde from the beach. He was chewing on a piece of straw and had that blasted wooden bat he hit her with slung up against his shoulder.

"You," Sawyer frowned.

"Me," he smirked.

"What do you want? To finish me off?"

"Peter told me to look after you."

"Well I don't need looking after. Especially not from you," said Sawyer, as she turned to pick a few more pecans.

She reached for one that was a little too far and slipped off the ladder only to land in Felix's waiting arms. There was the familiar scent of forest and earth mixed with coconut. She hadn't noticed it when they were fighting at the beach.

"It was you," she mused. "That day on the cliff when I fell into that bush. You carried me and healed me with water."

"I took you to the healing springs."

"Why?"

"I did as I was told. Much like I'm doing now."

Without warning, he dropped her on the ground. Sawyer dusted herself off and picked up the basket. 

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Felix."

"Just Felix?"

"Just Felix."

Sawyer nodded then looked down at her overflowing basket. It didn't seem right the amount of food she was able to fit in there. Almost like it was bigger than it looked.

"Well that's enough for today," she said, as she walked off. "See you later Felix."

She said that last part knowing full well that was the last thing she wanted or needed. As she walked, she could feel him following her and let out an annoyed sigh.

"Why are you following me?" she whirled around to face him.

"Peter told me to."

"Do you always do everything he says? Aren't you older than he is?"

"I guess," Felix shrugged.

"Then why would you take orders from him?"

"I'm just his second in command."

"How was that decided?"

"He's been on this island longer than I have."

"How long have you lived here?" Sawyer frowned.

"For as long as I can remember."

"What about your family?"

"The lost boys are the only family I need."

"Don't you have an actual family somewhere? Parents? Siblings?"

Felix frowned. "You ask a lot of questions."

"I need a lot more answers."

"Why is it so important to you?"

Sawyer's breath caught in her throat when she realized how close they were standing. The basket was the only thing separating them. For the first time Sawyer saw Felix's eyes were the brightest shade of blue she'd ever seen. And for a moment, she got lost in them. He frowned and she thought he was going to take a swing at her.

"I was just making conversation," she finally said.

"You talk too much," Felix said as he walked past her.

"You don't talk enough."

She followed after him in silence the rest of the way to the plane. Eura was at the firepit with the water jug at her feet.

"There you are," Eura said when Sawyer came into view. She started to walk over, but stopped when she noticed Felix. "Sawyer look out!"

"It's okay Eura. Peter sent him."

"Peter your -"

Sawyer's eyes widened and she started shaking her head. Peter hadn't acknowledged he was her soul mate the night before and Sawyer was beginning to think he didn't even know. And she wasn't about to admit it to his right hand man. Eura frowned, but nodded.

"Peter. Your...mysterious stranger at the berries last night," Eura said. She looked at Sawyer with question in her eyes then looked at Felix. "Who are you?"

"This is Felix," said Sawyer, turning to him. "And Felix was just leaving."

He smirked and nodded. "See you later."

He walked off into the jungle. After they could no longer see him through the trees, Eura turned to Sawyer.

"He doesn't know Peter is your soul mate?" Eura asked.

"No and I'd like to keep it that way. He's too close to him."

Eura nodded and followed Sawyer back to the plane. They were both unaware that Felix was hiding nearby and had heard them. While he had been living in Neverland for the majority of his life, he knew all about soul marks and soul mates. But nobody thought Peter had a soul mate. Especially considering what he was.

~*~*~*~*~*~


	6. Disobedience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may slow 6 chapters in, but I do know where I'm taking this story and there are many more chapters to come! Thanks for reading <3 
> 
> Kudos/comments are appreciated.

~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Three days passed since the girls had seen or heard from anyone. But that didn't stop them from feeling that they were constantly being watched. Despite all that, they were getting used to life on the island. Days were spent exploring and at the beach. They bathed in the springs where there was a small waterfall they used for water and laundry. The orchard became Eura's favorite place to read. Sawyer began fashioning spears out of various sticks she'd gathered while exploring. She didn't want to be completely helpless the next time Peter ordered his lost boys to attack. Plus, she had been on a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and nuts. She was ready for something different. They were sitting by the firepit just before sunset when an idea hit her.

"I'm going fishing," she said.

"You have fun with that," Eura laughed. "I'm going to eat what we've already got and get some more reading done."

Sawyer nodded and headed towards the ocean with several spears in hand. The walk was surprisingly peaceful and uneventful. Sawyer waded out into the shallows just as the sun kissed the horizon on it's descent. Fishing turned out to be surprisingly easy. The fish seemed to gravitate towards her. It wasn't long before she'd caught two good sized fish then headed back to the plane. The sun had completely set by the time she arrived. There was a fire going but she didn't see Eura and assumed she had gone to bed early.

Once the fish were cooking, Sawyer sat on a log and stared at the dancing flames. She wondered how things were back home. Did Dean and their father assume she and Eura were busy having the time of their lives in the Bahamas? After all, the last anyone heard from them they were headed to their vacation home. The sound of twigs breaking from somewhere in the darkness made Sawyer jump to her feet. She pulled out her pocket knife as a familiar figure emerged.

"You don't actually think you can hurt me do you?" Peter smirked. He had his hands on his hips and watched her. "Especially not with that."

The pocket knife disintegrated in Sawyer's hand and she frowned. "How did you –"

"Magic," Peter stated simply.

"So you're like Harry Potter or something?"

"What?"

"Nothing. What are you doing here?"

"I told you I'd come back for a visit and I always keep my promises."

"Yes well we're doing just fine without you."

"I can see that," Peter nodded, as he looked at the fish. "Felix told me he saw you at the orchard the other day."

"Yeah. He also told me you ordered him to attack me and follow me around."

"He is my most loyal lost boy."

Sawyer rolled her eyes. Peter was ridiculous. There was no way in Neverland or on Earth she was going to spend her life with him. If he truly didn't know about her soul mark, he was never going to.

"The fish," Peter said, breaking into her thoughts. "Where did they come from?"

"A tree," Sawyer's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Why?"

"This is my island remember? Which means everything belongs to me."

"I thought that was a joke."

"No. I'm quite serious."

"What are you? Twelve?"

"I'm eighteen," he said.

"Could've fooled me with your immature and childish behavior," Sawyer smirked.

"I was fine with you crash landing in my jungle," said Peter, walking slowly towards her. "I was fine with you exploring my island. I gave you permission to eat from my orchard. But I did not give you permission to hunt and eat my fish."

He stopped within inches of her face. The firelight danced around in his green eyes that were now full of rage. Sawyer tried to step back, but he gripped her wrist tightly.

"All you had to do was ask," Peter said.

"Do I also need permission to breathe your oxygen?"

Peter looked at her a moment before loosening his grip. Then he stepped back and whistled loudly.

"Okay boys!" he said with a devilish grin. "You can come out now!"

Sawyer watched as the same hooded figures that attacked them on the beach appeared from behind trees, bushes and rocks. Felix came from the direction of the plane dragging a distraught Eura behind him. Her hands were tied behind her back and a towel was in her mouth as a makeshift gag. She looked at Sawyer in panic.

"Let her go!" said Sawyer.

Peter threw her at two hooded figures, who immediately tied her hands behind her back.

"Cage them," Peter ordered.

"All this over fish?" Sawyer exclaimed. "What sort of sick psycho are you?"

"I'm not sick nor am I psycho. You disobeyed my rules."

"Rules that we knew nothing about."

"You should've asked," Peter shrugged.

"No. You should've told me."

Peter said nothing more and disappeared through the trees. Before Sawyer could protest again, a towel was shoved in her mouth. Then the girls were thrown into cages made of tree branches before being dragged carelessly through the jungle. The sound of the cage scraping against the ground made her cringe. Every bump they went over was painful as some of the branches were thorny. Soon they came to a stop and Sawyer pressed her face against the branches to look out.

"Put them beside the other one," Peter commanded.

Felix came into view and pulled on a rope hoisting their cages high into the air. Sawyer saw one other cage suspended with theirs and wondered who was in it.

"Perhaps a night in the cages will help you rethink your disobedience," Peter called up to them.

With that, he and his lost boys disappeared from view. Sawyer spent a lot of time trying to spit out the towel in her mouth or break free from the ropes around her wrists. But she had to stop when the skin on her wrists became raw and she felt blood. Finally, she gave up and leaned her head against the corner wondering how long he would keep them here. The sounds of crying and creatures growling caved in around her. Soon, she forced her eyes shut and let restless sleep consume her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~


	7. In Captivity

~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sawyer woke abruptly when her cage dropped to the ground. She shielded her eyes from the sunlight as the door opened. Felix dragged her out and pulled her to her feet. After being in such cramped quarters all night, Sawyer couldn't stand so she grabbed onto Felix for support. In response, he pushed her off. She fell to the ground and noticed the other two cages were empty. Felix yanked the towel out of her mouth.  
  
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Sawyer spat.   
  
Felix said nothing as he cut the ropes free from her hands. She immediately rubbed her wrists, which were raw and covered in dried blood. Felix tossed a bottle onto the ground. Sawyer recognized it as the same purple liquid he had given to her at the beach. She drank it quickly and almost instantly, her wounds healed. Sawyer jumped to her feet ready to run.  
  
“Don’t even think about it,” said Felix, grabbing her by the elbow.  
  
He pulled her along behind him until they reached a large clearing covered in dirt. Three of the trees surrounding the clearing had trunks the size of houses. There were doors and windows in each of them. A large fire pit was in the center of the clearing surrounded by logs for seating. There was even a chicken coop and a fenced in grassy area with cows.   
  
“Where are we?” Sawyer asked, looking around in awe.  
  
“This is where we live," said Felix, as he walked towards one of the trees.   
  
“Where is everyone?”  
  
“Fighting.”  
  
“Why didn’t you go with them?”  
  
Felix stopped walking and turned around to face her, frustration on his face. “Peter told –”  
  
“He told you to watch me,” Sawyer concluded and he nodded. “Where’s Eura? And who else was caged up?”  
  
“Too many questions,” said Felix as he opened a door. “Don’t run off.”  
  
Then he disappeared inside, closing the door behind him. Was he really stupid enough to leave her all alone? There were several paths leading away from the clearing. Sawyer had no idea where they went, but didn't care. She had to get away. The adrenaline began coursing through her veins and she took off running. Faster and faster she ran not even bothering to look back. She would return for Eura when she had some spears and a plan. The path she had chosen seemed to be disappearing. Trees and bushes began caving in on her, but she fought her way through them. Based on her growling stomach and how high the sun was in the sky, Sawyer could tell it was past lunch. Suddenly, some large vines pulled her up against a boulder.  
  
“You really thought you could escape that easily?” Peter materialized in front of her with an amused look on his face. “Felix told you not to run off.”  
  
“How did you –”  
  
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know. But you really shouldn’t have ran." He looked at her wrists that were completely healed of rope burns. "Felix gave you more healing potion?"  
  
"Yeah surprised me, too," said Sawyer, as she fought in vain to be free of the vines.  
  
Peter began to pace slowly. "The jungle is dangerous. Especially for someone who doesn’t know their way around the island.”  
  
“I was looking for the beach. From there, I could’ve found the plane.”  
  
“The beach,” Peter laughed. “Is about a day’s walk from here. You would’ve grown tired, injured yourself or been eaten before you got there.”  
  
"Oh is that all?" Sawyer asked sarcastically.  
  
"You could've also fainted from heat exhaustion or dehydration."  
  
"Is that what happened to Eura? When she was let out of her cage, did she run away?"  
  
"No," Peter shook his head. "She's not nearly as reckless as you are. She didn't even try."  
  
“Where is she anyway?”  
  
Peter sighed. “Come back to camp.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“You really are a stubborn little girl.”  
  
“I’m not a little girl,” Sawyer stomped her foot on the ground.  
  
“Well you’re certainly acting childish now aren’t you?” Peter smirked.  
  
Sawyer said nothing and looked away from him. The vines loosened then Peter grabbed her by the arm pulling her after him. She clumsily followed, tripping over everything in their path. Soon they reached the camp which was now populated with a few boys of varying ages. They all got quiet when Peter and Sawyer entered the clearing. He said nothing to them and kept walking towards one of the trees where Felix was waiting by a door.  
  
“I told you not to run off,” said Felix as they approached.  
  
“You shouldn’t have left me alone,” Sawyer quipped.  
  
"You didn't tell me you gave her more healing potion," Peter said to Felix with a stern look on his face. "We don't have a lot of it at the moment and I'd prefer it if you didn't share all of it with her."  
  
"I thought you knew everything that happened on _'your'_   island," Sawyer smirked.  
  
Peter said nothing and pushed her through the door where she saw a staircase.    
  
"Is this the part where you put me out of my misery?" Sawyer asked.   
  
“Hopefully,” Felix muttered.  
  
Peter frowned at him then looked at Sawyer. “We aren’t bringing you here to kill you. Now go.”  
  
Sawyer reluctantly did as she was told. When she reached the top of the stairs, there was another door and she hesitated. There was no telling where he was taking her. He said they weren’t going to kill her, but said nothing about not torturing her. For all she knew a torture chamber awaited her.   
  
“What are you waiting on? A formal invitation?” Peter said, annoyed.  
  
He reached around her to open the door and they all stepped inside. There was a large wooden table with several mismatched chairs around it. A rustic throne sat at one end. Sawyer rolled her eyes knowing full well who's seat that was. On one side of the room was a kitchen and on the other side was a firepit surrounded by various logs to sit on. Several kerosene lamps hung around the ceiling for lighting. Across the room were two other doors.   
  
“Your room is this way,” Peter said.  
  
"My room?" Sawyer frowned. "Is it a jail cell?"  
  
"See for yourself."  
  
"I'd rather not."  
  
"Would you rather I throw you back in a cage?" Peter raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Not necessarily."  
  
"Then come here," he said firmly.  
  
"And if I don't?"  
  
Peter briefly shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead as though he had a headache. He motioned to Felix, who stepped forward and grabbed Sawyer by the arm. She was dragged across the room and through the door. Up they went another flight of stairs. At the top was a small room with two beds, a wardrobe and a vanity. All of Sawyer and Eura's luggage from the plane was in a pile on the floor.  
  
“A couple of lost boys brought all your things from the plane here last night,” Peter said, as Sawyer looked around. "Not quite a jail cell and much better than a cage wouldn't you say?"  
  
It wasn't anything fancy like the penthouse suite she lived in back home or their vacation home in the Bahamas that currently sat vacant. But it wasn’t bad.  
  
"What's the catch?" Sawyer asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Peter frowned.  
  
"Why are you treating us like guests. Not even eight hours ago, you had us hanging in cages like prisoners."  
  
"Moving forward, all I ask is that you follow my rules."  
  
Sawyer looked at him still not fully convinced this wasn't some sort of trick.  
  
"You don't trust me," Peter realized. "And you shouldn't. But I promise you this is not a trick."  
  
After a few more seconds of silence, Sawyer nodded. "Alright. I believe you."  
  
 Peter motioned towards a curtain at the back of the room. “There’s a bathroom through there."  
  
“Like an actual bathroom,” Sawyer walked over to the curtain.  
  
“Isn’t that what I just said?” Peter asked Felix who shrugged.  
  
Sawyer pulled the curtain back to reveal a sink, toilet and bathtub complete with a shower head. She frowned. “You have plumbing?”  
  
“I’ve done many trades with visitors over the years,” said Peter, as though that were a satisfying answer. “In return for various artifacts and safe passage off my island, they’ve given me furniture, food and clothing.”  
  
“That doesn’t explain the plumbing,” said Sawyer, as she flushed the toilet. “Where does it even go?”  
  
Peter shot Felix an exasperated look who laughed a little. “I told you she asks too many questions.”  
  
“Before you ask about Eura again," said Peter as if reading Sawyer's mind. "You’ll see her at dinner which will be soon. You'll wash up and change your clothes before you come."  
  
"Dinner. So I did miss lunch."  
  
"Afraid so, but not to fear. Dinner isn't that far away. You really slept a long time last night."  
  
"And what if I don't go to dinner?"  
  
"Then you'll risk spending another night in the cage."  
  
“I’m not hungry,” Sawyer crossed her arms.  
  
“You're a bad liar," Peter smirked. "You haven't eaten since yesterday and I can hear your stomach growling."  
  
“You threw me in a cage before I had a chance to eat last night."  
  
"Must we continue to go over this?" Peter frowned. "I put you in there because you disobeyed my rules."  
  
"And again...we had no idea what your rules even were."  
  
"I told you all you had to do was ask."  
  
"You should consider handing out pamphlets every time someone comes here."  
  
"We've not had visitors in a while. And you crash landed here. I had no control over that."  
  
"And if you did, I'm sure you would've happily made sure we didn't make it alive."  
  
"Your words. Not mine," Peter chuckled. Felix watched their exchange with an amused look on his face. Peter pointed a finger at Sawyer as he slowly walked towards her. "You will bathe. You will change. And you will come to dinner. Felix will be standing guard to make sure you won’t try to run off again. I've got some things to take care of. See you at dinner."  
  
"Not likely," Sawyer said under her breath.  
  
Once Peter was gone, Sawyer turned to Felix who was leaning up against the wardrobe. 

“Do you have to be in here?” she asked. "Can't you just stand outside the door?"  
  
“He told me to watch you,” Felix shrugged.   
  
“Yes well you didn’t do a very good job earlier. After the orchard the other day, I never saw you again.”  
  
“I've been watching you this entire time. You just never saw me.”  
  
Sawyer frowned. If he had been watching them from a distance the past couple days then that meant... Suddenly Sawyer wished she hadn’t bathed every day. As if reading her mind, Felix laughed a little.  
  
“Relax. I didn’t watch you at the waterfall,” he reassured her.  
  
“I don’t believe you.”  
  
Felix shrugged and Sawyer tried her best to ignore him, as she began unpacking. Part of her wondered why she was unpacking like she was going to be here for a while. Any day now, they’d be rescued or figure a way out of this place so why settle in? But another part of her was enjoying being here and didn’t want to leave. At least not just yet.   
  
“I know about your soul mark,” Felix broke the silence.  
  
Sawyer froze. “You...you do? How?”  
  
"Remember when you thought I left the day you went to the orchard?"  
  
"You didn't actually leave."  
  
“Don’t worry," Felix smirked. "I haven’t told anyone. Yet.”  
  
“I’m surprised. Peter says you’re his most loyal lost boy. Keeping secrets as the second in command doesn’t seem very loyal to me.”  
  
“I may need you to do something for me in the future.”  
  
“So you want to use it as blackmail?" Sawyer concluded. Felix smirked in response and she let out a frustrated sigh. "You're really irritating you know that."   
  
"Not half as much as you are." His words dripped with disdain but Sawyer ignored it as she continued to unpack. "He'll never love you."  
  
"Great. Because I'm pretty sure I'll never love him either."  
  
"But won't you?" Felix asked. "Isn't that what soul marks are for? To show you who it is you're meant to fall in love with."  
  
"Not necessarily," Sawyer frowned. "Soul marks are just fate's cruel way of forcing you to love someone you may not ever be compatible with. Besides, he hasn't said anything so he obviously doesn't know about it. Or he's choosing to ignore it. But as for me...I am choosing not to let my soul mark control who I love."  
  
"Consequences of not honoring your soul mark can be fatal."  
  
Sawyer frowned. "If you've lived here for as long as you can remember...then how do you know so much about soul mates and soul marks?"  
  
Her question hung in the air and silence filled the room. The playful smirk had left Felix's lips and was replaced by a frown. Sawyer noticed the troubled look on his face.  
  
"Felix?" Sawyer asked. When he didn't reply or look up, Sawyer walked over to him. "Felix?"  
  
He snapped his head up as though he had been deep in thought. "What?!"  
  
"I...asked you a question."  
  
"That's a shock."  
  
Sawyer rolled her eyes. "I asked how you know so much about soul mates and soul marks."  
  
"Through stories."  
  
"Like...bedtime stories?"   
  
"You talk too much and ask too many questions."  
  
"So you've told me," Sawyer sighed.  
  
"I'm just glad it's not me. The one you're meant to be with."  
  
"The feelings are mutual."  
  
The sound of glass breaking downstairs caught their attention. Sawyer hurried out of the room with Felix following closely behind. There was a girl in the kitchen picking up some broken dishes. Her golden hair was in a bun on top of her head. The dress she had on was made of oversized leaves stitched together with vines covered in tiny, colorful flowers. She jumped to her feet when she saw Sawyer and beamed.  
  
“You must be Sawyer," the girl said. "Eura’s little sister. She's told me so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you. Gosh you're so pretty. Even prettier than I imagined. Wouldn't you agree Felix?”  
  
The girl looked past Sawyer to Felix, who's cheeks turned slightly red. He cleared his throat then went back up the stairs. The girl shrugged it off then turned her attention back to Sawyer.  
  
"Here let me help you," Sawyer offered, looking for a broom.  
  
"No, no, I've got this," the girl insisted.  
  
“Where is Eura? Is she okay?”  
  
“Yeah. She’s just fine!" the girl nodded, as she knelt down to clean up the broken glass. "She was awake long before you were. That's why Peter sent Felix for you. He was mad that you were sleeping so long. While the boys were out training, we gathered up food for storage. Right now, she's helping Tiger Lily make juice. We'll meet up with them to get dinner ready. Eura's already taken a shower and put on some clean clothes. You could use a good washing before dinner or Peter might just throw you back into the cage."

The blonde spoke so quickly and with such animation, Sawyer was having trouble processing everything.  
  
“Oh where are my manners,” the girl stood and held out a hand. “I’m Tinkerbell. But you can call me Tink.”  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~


	8. The Lost

~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It wasn’t long after meeting Tinkerbell that Peter came to shoo Sawyer away since she was “distracting Tinkerbell from her duties”. Rolling her eyes, Sawyer went to take a shower. She removed her shirt as soon as she walked into the bedroom, forgetting Felix was in there. He cleared his throat and Sawyer whirled around.

“Felix what the hell?” she exclaimed, holding the shirt up against her chest. “Why are you in here?”

“You really need to ask me that?” Felix raised an eyebrow. “You tried to run away after I let you out of the cage. I didn’t know if you were stupid enough to try again.”

“I am not stupid and you don’t need to be in the room to make sure I stay put. There’s no windows for me to climb out of and the only door is right there!”

Sawyer’s voice got louder the more she talked. Felix had an amused look on his face which didn’t help her growing irritation.

“I would much rather be anywhere else,” he said. “But if I left you alone, I’d be disobeying orders.”

“Well I need to take a shower and I’d rather you not be in here for that!”

“Why are you yelling?” Felix frowned.

“Because you annoy me!”

“You annoy me too, but you don’t see me raising my voice.”

“Get out!” Sawyer pointed at the door.

Felix left the room muttering something about “useless girl” and “cages”. After she heard the door shut, Sawyer stomped into the bathroom. She closed her eyes as the lukewarm water ran down her body. For a moment, she was back at home getting ready for a day of shopping and hanging out with friends in the city. But when she opened her eyes, she realized she was taking a shower in an oversized tree that had somehow been turned into a modernized dwelling.

As she got ready for dinner, she wondered how Eura was doing and why she had yet to hear from her. Going to dinner with Peter and his lost boys was the last thing she wanted to do. But she also didn’t want to risk being thrown back into a cage. She braided her wet hair to one side after throwing on a t shirt and jeans. Then she reluctantly left the confines of her new room, which was now her only safe space.

At the bottom of the stairs, her eyes widened. The large table was surrounded by boys talking loudly amongst themselves. In the center was a large roasted pig surrounded by all matter of fruit and vegetables. Everyone stopped talking and all eyes turned to Sawyer.

“You’re late,” Peter frowned. “We’ve been waiting.”

“There’s no clock,” Sawyer replied, crossing her arms. “And even if there was, you didn’t tell me an actual time.”

Peter motioned to an empty chair between him and Felix. “Well hurry up and sit down so we can eat.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t start eating already,” said Sawyer, obeying his request. “I didn’t realize you had manners.”

“We all eat at the same time.”

“Another rule?” Sawyer rolled her eyes when Peter nodded. “I’m surprised it’s not against the rules to sit at the same table as you.”

“Would you rather eat outside with the cows and chickens? Or in the woods where you could get eaten?”

It was then Sawyer realized that everyone was still staring. Peter frowned and cleared his throat. “What are you all looking at? Eat!”

Everyone started piling food on their plates. Sawyer’s eyes widened at the display before her. Food was flying everywhere. Peter leaned towards her. “Better get some food while you can. We won’t eat again until breakfast tomorrow. And if you sleep in as late as you did today, you will have to wait until dinner again.”

Sawyer nodded and started putting food on her plate. She glanced around the table and frowned. “Where are the other girls?”

“Your sister wasn’t feeling well,” said Peter, between bites of food. “She’s with Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily to fetch more ingredients for medicines.”

“My sister was sick and you sent her out into the jungle?”

“Well she isn’t alone. The other two know their way around the island and will be sure to keep her safe.”

“But I thought the jungle was dangerous at night.”

“To people like you who don’t know what they’re doing.”

Sawyer frowned. “And you didn’t let me go with them why?”

“We both know you’d run away and besides, you were taking too long getting ready.”

“When will they be back?”

“No more than three days time.”

Sawyer choked on her water. “Are you kidding me? I’m not going to see them for three days? For three days I’m going to be the only girl here?”

Peter nodded and Sawyer sat back in her chair. She looked beside her at Felix who quickly averted his gaze as though he hadn’t been staring at her. Sawyer ate her dinner in silence as she listened to the jumble of conversations going on around her. Nothing too incredibly interesting. Most conversations were about fighting and hunting.

After what seemed like hours, everyone got up at the same time and left the room. Sawyer’s eyes widened at the mess they left behind. Dirty dishes and food were slung everywhere. Peter was the last to leave and paused in the doorway.

“And when you’re done cleaning, I expect you outside,” he said, disappearing from view.

Sawyer frowned. “No way in hell.”

She went outside and saw a bonfire with flames that reached high up into the treetops. She wondered how the trees hadn’t caught fire. Everyone was either dancing around, throwing darts at a tree or sharpening weapons. Everyone except for two. Peter was observing everything from a rustic throne and Felix was leaning up against a tree a few yards away. Sawyer walked over to Peter who frowned when he saw her.

“You cleaned up rather quickly,” he said.

“I didn’t clean up at all.”

“You dare defy me again?”

He stood and walked over to her. Sawyer said nothing, but crossed her arms and stared up at him challengingly. Inwardly, she was screaming at herself. What was she trying to prove? Without her sister or the other girls here why didn’t she just stay inside so she could be alone? Finally, she looked down at the ground.

“It’s a really big mess,” she said. “It’s going to take me forever to clean.”

Peter chuckled a little and went to sit back down. “Forever is an exaggeration but I’ll let it slide just this once.”

He then smiled at her. But it wasn’t a pleasant smile. It was more of a mischievous smile.

“What’s with the smile?” Sawyer asked.

“It’s done.”

“What is?”

“Everything’s been cleaned up. So you need not worry about it. Instead, you can celebrate with us.”

“And here I was thinking you were burning someone at the stake.”

“No,” Peter smirked. “Not yet anyway.”

“What are you celebrating?”

“We celebrate never growing up. Never growing old. Not having responsibilities. We celebrate not living in the world where you come from.”

Sawyer frowned. “I don’t understand why anyone would want that.”

“And I don’t understand why you think growing older, having a job and eventually dying is something you’d want.”

“That’s just how real life is,” Sawyer shrugged, looking around. “What you have going on right here is not real life.”

“Not to you. But to me and my lost boys...this is reality.”

“Why do you call them your lost boys?”

“We’re all lost in one way or another,” he said. Sawyer frowned and he laughed a little. “I honestly couldn’t tell you.”

“Did they have another life before coming here? Or have they always been here?”

“We all had lives before Neverland. Some of them bad. Most of them really bad. None of them are missed.”

“How do you know for sure? How do you know they don’t have people looking for them? People who love and miss them?”

“Because they’re all the same as me,” said Peter, staring at the fire. “None of us truly had a home to speak of.”

“So everyone here, including you, is an orphan? What about Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily?”

“They’ve been here for so long...it just didn’t seem right to send them away.”

Peter’s voice was quieter now. He seemed sad in a way, but he quickly straightened up with a content smirk on his face.

“Are you not going to join everyone?” Sawyer asked.

“I don’t have to. That’s the beauty of running this place.”

“Then what’s his excuse?” Sawyer nodded towards Felix.

“Felix is the exception to many rules here in Neverland.”

“Why is that?”

“I trust him the most. I’ve known him the longest.”

“And how did you get to be the one who runs this place?”

“I was here first,” Peter stated simply. “The boys all trust me. Eventually you’ll trust me as well.”

“Stop giving me reasons not to then.”

Peter stared at her for a moment as if trying to figure her out. “Why don’t you stop asking me questions and introduce yourself to everyone. This is your new home after all.”

“I’d rather not introduce myself. How about you just name everyone from here?”

Peter shook his head. “You’ll learn everyone’s name eventually. I don’t have time for introductions.”

“Can you point me in the direction of someone who could?” Sawyer asked. Peter pointed to Felix and Sawyer rolled her eyes. “Anyone besides Felix.”

“What’s wrong with Felix?” Peter frowned.

“He tried to kill me on a beach because you told him to. Remember?”

“To be fair, I didn’t tell him to kill you.”

“He obviously doesn’t listen very well. And you have him following me around like a blood thirsty guard dog.”

Peter laughed. “Just don’t want you wandering off and getting yourself killed.”

“Eura and I survived many nights alone before you dragged us here to your camp.”

“Only because I allowed it. There’s a lot you’ve got to learn about this place,” said Peter, as he stood. “I tire of your questions.”

With that, he walked away. Sawyer wanted to go after him just to annoy him some more. She still had plenty of questions that needed answers. But instead, she decided to go bother Felix. He was still leaning up against a tree with his arms folded across his chest. A piece of straw was hanging out of his mouth and he was staring blankly ahead.

“Why are you all the way over here?” Sawyer asked.

“I’m more of an observer,” Felix kept his gaze straight ahead.

The glow from the bonfire made the scar on his face stick out even more. Despite his cold and uncaring demeanor, Sawyer found him intriguing for reasons she didn't yet know. Suddenly, Felix looked over at her.

“What?” he frowned.

“Oh I...it’s nothing,” Sawyer looked away.

“No. Tell me.”

“It’s just...where did your scar come from?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“How long have you had it?”

“Also none of your business,” Felix pushed away from the tree and walked over to her. “Why did you come over here?”

“I’m just trying to make conversation.”

“I don’t want to talk to anyone right now,” he said. “Especially not to you.”

He pushed past Sawyer and disappeared through the trees. Sawyer considered going after him, but knew the potential consequences if she did. So she turned to go back to the bonfire and ran right into Peter.

“Thinking about running again?” Peter raised an eyebrow.

“No,” said Sawyer. “I just...Felix.”

“He’ll be fine. Sometimes, he just needs to be alone.”

Sawyer nodded then looked back at the bonfire where all the lost boys were now dancing wildly around it.

“What are they dancing to?” she asked.

“You don’t hear that?”

“Hear what? The great outdoors?”

“No. The music.”

Sawyer got quiet. Besides the boys clapping and banging sticks together, she heard crickets. The fire crackling. Chickens. Cows. But nothing else. She shrugged and turned to Peter. “Yeah I’m not hearing any music.”

“You will,” Peter smiled.

He walked back over to the fire, motioning for Sawyer to follow. With one last look through the trees, Sawyer went after Peter . He sat on his throne and she sat on the ground with her back against a log. She watched the lost boys dancing around. Despite not hearing any music, she could tell they were all genuinely happy. Leaning back against the log, Sawyer looked up. Through the flames and the tree tops, she could see thousands of sparkling stars. They seemed to be moving around as though they were dancing too. Eventually, Sawyer’s eyes grew heavy and she slipped into sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~


End file.
